— Inside the Refuge.
The shelter buzzed with the hum of voices as families hurried in, seeking refuge from the chaos outside.
They huddled close, comforting one another, checking on loved ones, and muttering under their breaths.
"...You think the wall's already breached by those monsters from the Fragmentum?"
A middle-aged man dressed as an office worker, looking troubled, spoke to another similarly dressed individual.
"No idea. But with that big tear in the sky, even if the monsters haven't broken through, that wind and snow from outside must be blowing in."
The other man shook his head, crossing his arms as if to ward off a sudden chill.
"I felt my face going numb from the cold just running over here."
"Really? That extreme? I didn't feel a thing, and it's not like we've never had snow before—just a little colder than usual, right?"
A scantily dressed exercise enthusiast chimed in.
"Oh, don't worry yourselves! Even if the sky falls, Lady Supreme Guardian will hold it up. Haven't you seen the Silvermane Guards are already on it?"
A citizen with a more optimistic outlook reassured them.
"That's true. As soon as it started, we got evacuation orders from the Guards. Impressive, really. That young one didn't seem much older than my daughter, yet she could command so many people."
The first middle-aged man seemed to soothe himself with these thoughts, recalling the Silvermane Guard who had guided them to safety.
"Oh? She helped your neighborhood too? Our block was also led here by that young Silvermane officer, Miss Sergeyevna, I think?"
The people gathered in small groups, discussing recent events.
Despite the dire situation, the atmosphere wasn't heavy or depressing. Much of this was thanks to the Silvermane Guards, moving through the crowd to offer aid and the petite Guard stationed nearby, quietly conversing with an administrative officer.
"Officer Pelageya, a word of caution: this shelter is nearly at full capacity, yet people continue arriving in droves," the official murmured, lowering his voice.
"And most importantly, there's a group of architects' families outside. As per protocol, architects and their families are entitled to priority access."
Pela glanced toward the end of the line, spotting a group dressed in finery, clearly distinguished by wealth and influence. It wasn't surprising that they'd sent an official to make their case.
Since the Supreme Guardian's rule began, the architect families had faced increasing restrictions, their political influence reduced almost to mere ceremonial presence.
But ultimately, this was only the current power holders' game. In Belobog, where architects had elected Guardians for seven hundred years, they hadn't entirely fallen to the level of ordinary citizens.
The upper echelons of most industries were composed of these families. Even for Pela, being close friends with a prestigious Landau family member was seen as "reaching up."
Though her background wasn't low and she held an honorary academic title, this association made her, to outsiders, a well-connected official of the Landau family.
Otherwise, this official would have hardly bothered with persuasion and simply notified her to admit the architect families.
"You seem hesitant, and I completely understand," the official continued, catching the slight frown on her face, "but think of it this way. Outside, there are plenty more shelters that can accommodate them—some are even safer than this one. It's just a matter of time."
He gestured outside, speaking as if describing a train making an expected delay.
"Even if it's a slight detour, they will get there eventually."
A strange urge welled up in Pela to punch this official in the face and snap his golden-rimmed glasses in two.
But this was no time to stir up conflict. She swallowed her displeasure and responded crisply.
"I'm afraid I must decline. According to the Belobog Refuge and Residency Guidelines, Section 2, Chapter 5, Article 23, Clause 7—"
She recited quickly, leaving the official gaping.
"If the refuge has reached its maximum occupancy, and there exists one to three safety hazards, no further admittance should be permitted."
"My original assignment here was to monitor for any Fragmentum monsters straying close to the shelter. This risk remains.
"Moreover, the shelter's occupancy has exceeded its maximum capacity by 1.25 times, so even if I admitted them, there wouldn't be sufficient space. Therefore—"
She turned and signaled for the nearby Guards to step forward.
"My team will escort them safely to the Mansco Street refuge."
"B-but, it's already night, and the Guards are exhausted after a full day…"
"Thank you for your concern for the Guards. But rest assured, each of my team members is well-trained. And as you said, this is merely a slight delay in reaching a safe location."
With a subtle jab, she added, "Aren't architects traditionally raised to protect others before themselves?"
The official's face turned red, and he ultimately backed down. Several Guards went with him to inform the waiting crowd that the shelter was full. The announcement caused a stir, but Pela quickly stepped in to calm the situation, restoring order.
Once the commotion subsided, she let out a weary sigh, feeling temporarily drained from handling so many matters at once.
Still, seeing those who were safely settled gave her a sense of fulfillment.
As an analyst mostly used to processing data and following orders, this was… a new feeling.
But she knew she couldn't ignore reality.
Each refuge in Belobog was based on specifications from the city's early days, when the population had barely reached three hundred thousand—and after the long wars, had dropped to two hundred thousand.
Each refuge could hold up to ten thousand people, with ten concentrated around the administrative district.
In the entire city, there were twenty-three refuges of similar capacity. Technically, they could increase the total number in an emergency, but… the situation hadn't yet reached that level of crisis.
When the dread dragon attacked the city, panic naturally ensued, but surprisingly—
It hadn't continued attacking. It had simply struck the outer wall and left.
This wasn't an assurance of safety—gaps like that allow bacteria to seep in and ruin "the whole egg," so to speak. But the dragon's residual energy had swept away any invading infection, sparing them for the moment.
In some strange sense, this was good news.
The newly emerging Fragmentum in the sky worried her, but past records suggested these anomalies took time to "grow."
This brief window would allow people to evacuate to the shelters, perhaps…
Maybe it was okay if they took things a little slower.
Pela wasn't sure why she felt this way, but her reconnaissance drones' latest data hinted at something strange.
After the dragon's attack, the other Fragmentum hotspots within the city seemed to weaken. The monsters had stopped pouring out, and instead, strange concentrations formed in the high altitudes.
Not that many creatures could survive such a high fall, but even if they did, they'd land outside the city walls, posing no imminent threat.
Yet the Fragmentum's power was steadily shifting to the sky's newly formed rift.
Once that new rift broke through, it would be like a wall with a hole no one could patch.
The creatures couldn't breach the dragon's lingering energy, so they resorted to filling the gap with more monsters to speed up the erosion process.
But even if they succeeded in eroding it—what then?
The Fragmentum had already permeated the city. Further encroachment would only add to the psychological strain on people and worsen the influx of wind and snow from outside.
Given that Belobog was no stranger to snowstorms, one could almost say they had little to worry about.
And besides, that Fragmentum seed had shown no signs of "sprouting" even after the dragon's assault.
The whole situation felt strangely restrained, as though some invisible hand was curbing its impact, as if wary of striking too quickly.
Why would that be?
Fragmentum rifts usually expand, twisting the surrounding space until the whole area is a monstrous playground—
But now, it felt as though something—some lingering will of the first Guardian, perhaps—was holding it back.
At that moment, a voice called out from behind her.
"Hey, deep in thought?"
There was no need to turn; Pela already knew who it was. Venti's presence was as fresh as a soft breeze.
She adjusted her glasses slightly.
"…I was wondering why that dragon didn't continue its attack."
"Oh? Are you the type who wishes for the end of the world?"
Venti gasped in mock horror, and Pela had to stifle the urge to pinch his cheek.
Before she could stop herself, her hand acted, and Venti froze in surprise, a look that quickly made her blush.
"…Ahem, sorry, I… couldn't resist."
Venti only chuckled lightly. "No worries. If it helped ease your mind, that's what matters."
His kindness warmed her heart, though she felt obligated to apologize again, yet his easy acceptance left her a little helpless.
It wasn't as if she could demand he not forgive her or… punish herself?
The absurd thought only deepened her blush, but she changed the topic quickly.
"Anyway, back to the dragon. It just seemed odd. The dragon—"
"Dvalin."
"What?"
"His name. Dvalin. Just has a nice ring, don't you think?"
Venti's suggestion earned him a bemused glance.
"You're strange. Naming a monster like it's a friend?"
"Oh, not at all! When I first saw it, I was shaking in my boots. Couldn't even drink my wine," Venti replied, blinking innocently.
Pela rolled her eyes but couldn't argue with his character.
Whether it was called a monster, a dragon, or some strange name, she could care less. If she had to name it, she'd pick something straightforward like "Storm Dragon."
Ignoring his antics, she continued.
"Anyway, stop interrupting me, so I can explain what's bothering me—"
The bard gave her an earnest "I'm listening" look, which Pela found surprisingly satisfying.
She held up a finger as she explained.
"First, the Storm Dragon's appearance. A creature of that magnitude shouldn't be able to show up without warning. In past records, Fragmentum monstrosities of that level required a rift to 'incubate' before emerging, and they rarely wandered far from it."
Monsters shared an innate link with Fragmentum, using it as a base from which to spread.
Even foreign invaders would typically stay within the Fragmentum, inching forward over time.
The creatures like the Everwinter, or Frost Wanderers, seldom left their centers.
"But this dragon was different. My team reported that it appeared directly from the sky, with no witnesses claiming it took off from within the city—it had to have come from outside."
The frontline had reported no significant energy surges, which made such a monster's sudden appearance unlikely without warning the Silvermane Guards.
And most importantly, its actions were intentional, unlike lower-level monsters that acted on basic instincts. The dragon appeared, attacked the wall, then left.
This behavior didn't fit the profile of typical Fragmentum creatures, even the more strategic ones that worked within set tactical limits.
As she spoke, Pela furrowed her brow, her lips drawn tightly.
"Rather than mindlessly destructive, it was almost as if it were…"
"As if it were?" Venti echoed.
"…I… I'm not sure. I need more information before making any assumptions."
After a moment's thought, she hesitated to reveal her suspicion, opting to continue instead.
"But if my theory is correct, we may have more time to prepare, and some of our worries may not be as pressing."
"What?! You can't just stop now!" Venti sighed dramatically. "I get why people run off when I haven't finished my tales."
"Guess you deserve it, don't you?" Pela shot him a look of mock disdain.
"Heh. Life's always full of things to worry about, but if I could, I'd just sing all day, enjoy my meals, and live carefree."
Though something in his tone hinted at deeper thoughts, Pela decided not to pursue it, instead handing him a generous stack of Winter Shields.
"Eh? What's this? I'm not for sale, you know?"
"Oh, stop it! This is a reward for your tech contributions," she clarified.
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